Capitol Punishment
Chapter 19
The car ride with the feds was a bit awkward. Because the Secret Service hadn't originally planned to pick up an extra capitol and two countries, and requesting another vehicle would take up more time than they wanted to give, they all had to squish in. There were enough seats being two rows of three behind the driver, but it is not entirely pleasant to be shoulder to shoulder with federal agents. Washington ended up stuck between London and his new rival, the infamous agent Johnson. Right turns were the worst, because the centripetal force kept sending his cheek into the Agent's shoulder, and Washington would pout until a left turn where he would turn his head to blow into London's ear and watch the Brit's face turn an angry red. However, the fourth left turn London stomped on his foot and Washington thought that was a good time to stop.
Behind them, was America, England, and some other agent who showed up on Capitol Duty. The Agent was new and was blatantly trying hard not look at the countries sitting next to him having a whispered conversation. It was especially hard not to look when one of those wonderful left turns occurred and America leaned closer to England to whisper something in his ear. There was a grunt, and when the Agent turned his head, all he saw was America solemnly rubbing his nose and England looking fixedly out the window.
"Who's going to yell at me to day?" Washington suddenly spoke as they pulled up to Capitol Hill.
"McConnell requested that you meet with him—" Johnson started.
"Ugh, not Evil Master Oogway!" Washington huffed and slid down the seat as far as the seat belt allowed. But he did smile a bit when he heard someone snicker behind him. "Of course he requested to dish it out, he's got some secret agenda or something, and he's really starting to freak me out. Can't I meet with someone else? Hell, I'd take Paul Ryan, at least he doesn't look like a scheming villain all the time. And last time he was so tired he brought me some fries and said 'just don't make this harder' and left." Washington paused. "Yeah, the worst part about that punishment was that he forgot the ketchup."
Washington heard someone behind him suck up some air through their teeth in distaste and a mumbled "Oooh, that's the worst."
"Yeah, well, 'just don't make this harder.' Senate Majority Leader McConnell asked for you specifically. We're being nice allowing your friends to follow along." Johnson said. "Now, get out, we're here." Washington didn't move.
"Please." Johnson stated. Washington reluctantly got out.
"Well, would you look at that, he remembered his manners." England muttered from the back.
Outside in back of the capitol building once again, the dome didn't shine quite so prettily on the overcast day, and the Servicemen escorted them into the building.
They arrived in the same room they were in before with the blue walls and the lined up chairs. Washington was quite glad to see that McConnell had yet to arrive with his posse of senators. But then, the two Secret Service agents stood guard at the door like were on some kind of watch duty, and it was very off putting.
"Uh, don't you guys have somewhere else to be now?" America asked. He understands guards, but not for good people. It was too much like a standing army. And America doesn't like standing armies.
"It's just until McConnell gets here and we can't let Mr. Washington go for another walk outside the building without government permission." Said the agent that nobody bothered to get the name of.
"I thought I was the government." Washington mumbled.
"You are, lad, you are." London reassured.
Washington shook his head as if it was all too much to handle.
"So, like, can one of you get us a glass of water or something?" America tried.
"Tea please, I missed the complementary tea at the hotel." England added.
The agents looked at each other, and shrugged. Johnson made the request through his radio, and five minutes later an intern showed up with a paper cup of tea and another of water. England took the tea and America took the water.
"Seriously, dude?" America said, "When I asked for a glass of water, I meant more than an actually glass of water. Like enough for all of us?"
Johnson shrugged, "It was what you asked for."
England stared appallingly at his cup, "Your service is shite, America. This is a paper cup. Of tea. For shame." He took a sip. "Oh, Earl Grey. Just what I needed."
America just sat down in one the lined up chairs and put his head in his hands.
Fifteen minutes of awkward silence later, Senator Evil Master Oogway—Senator Mitch McConnell strolled in with his posse of Senators. The Secret Service men took their leave, but the senators crowded around the door while McConnell stood in front of the pairs of countries and capitols. He eyed England and London when he spoke.
"It is good to see you gentlemen again, but you do not need to be present for this… discussion. It is United States confidential information. I am going to have to ask you men to leave." McConnell said.
"Hello to you too." Washington muttered angrily under his breath.
"Wait! They don't need to leave, they have to stay." America stood up.
McConnell looked mildly confused and off put. "Why? Mr. America, this is none of their concern."
"They have to stay because… uh…" America fumbled, trying to come up with something quick. London came to the rescue.
"Because, um… because we are his lawyers!" London added quickly.
"Yes, quite," England confidently said, standing next to America. "And America will not meet without us to listen to the terms. Everything in this case must also be presented to us and all important documents should be read over. So we will not be leaving."
The tortoise looked disgruntled, but he relented, "Alright, gentlemen, then sit down. Hopefully this will be over quickly."
None of them sat.
McConnell sighed. "Washington cannot be allowed to leave the capitol, he is to remain here."
"But why can't I see him?" America butt in.
"The 23rd and a half amendment—"
"Is that even real?"
"Yeah, it actually is," Washington said meekly, "I checked."
McConnell looked as if his point had been proved.
England cut in, taking his lawyer role very seriously, "Did America have any say in the matter? Was there any contract or court release?"
"As an amendment to the constitution, neither is needed." Said McConnell.
"What about the Supreme Court?" America asked, "Don't they have to approve it and interpret it?"
"They did. In 1961."
"But did they know that a country belongs with their capitol?" London asked.
"We have been doing fine without that for two centuries. They didn't need to take that into consideration." McConnell countered.
Washington sat down and stared at the floor as they argued over him. He didn't want this. He never meant for this to happen. He never meant for this to happen when he wrote the letter, met with London, escaped the capitol to meet his country. Maybe it was easier when he didn't know who he really was and who he belonged to. It was so much simpler back then, when he was just little Daniel. But could he really go back? Now that he did know? Washington always had a hard time adjusting to change, because usually it was a long and hard process that twisted him all around. But these past few days meant something to him. If he had the choice, would he go back to the way things were? No, he thought with gritted teeth, I wouldn't. Times are changing, and so must I.
"Amend it." Washington said, cutting off whoever was talking.
"What?" McConnell said.
"I asked yesterday, and I'll ask again. Get congress to amend it." Washington stood.
"I'm sorry Mr. Washington, but we cannot. Do you have any idea how many things congress is doing right now?—"
"Well, yeah."
"—They have too much on their plate to worry about you, and it will be too much to explain it to them—"
"Weak excuse for government policy makers."
"—You must not bother them about it now." McConnell finished.
"That's something that I don't understand," America cut in, arms crossed. "Why can't we 'bother' congress about a constitutional amendment?"
Senator McConnell hesitated, "Congress and the administration are too busy. We simply cannot."
America's eyes narrowed. "Busy doing what?"
"Making America Great Again."
Various groans echoed around the room, London face palmed and England through his hands in air in exasperation. Washington sucked in a deep breath, but America remained staring stoic at the Senate Majority leader.
"What is this, brainwashing? I swear, it's just getting weird." America turned to England, "Aren't I already great, Britain?"
England deadpanned.
"Look, Mitch," America turned back to the senator, "This cannot go on, what does 'making me great again' have to do with keeping my capitol from me?"
"Washington needs to stay so we can fix this government and make America great again."
"I don't wanna be fixed!" Washington blurted out, curling into himself a bit. "What am I? A dog? You can't train me!"
"We can." McConnell said.
Everyone froze. When McConnell realized what he said, the damage had already been done. America stepped threateningly closer, arms crossed once again and voice deep.
"When you say 'fix' the government, you didn't mean repair it, did you? You mean 'fix' as in 'rig,' you want to be able to 'influence the outcome,' so to speak."
"Of course not, Mr. America. This government is made by the people for the people. I was voted into office."
"Then why can't I, the people, work with my capitol, my government?" America grounded out.
"Because we are divided and need to make America great—" Before McConnell could finish, Washington leapt towards the door and through the other senators.
"Washington, wait!" London cried, starting after him.
Frantically, Washington whipped open the door and bolted down the hall, London following behind. America would have followed as well, but there was something he needed to clear up first, now that he knew something else was meddling underneath his government. That and the startled senators had left the room to wander. It was just him, England, and the evil tortoise. America's smile was uncharacteristically vicious.